Nurses See Gains From 9-day Strike, But Not In The Purse Scheduling Improved, Some Say

February 01, 1986|The Morning Call

A nine-day strike by state-employed nurses resulted in more of a moral victorythan a monetary one, union officials said yesterday as workers went back to their jobs following a tentative agreement.

"Our strike was not a strike about money," said JoAnn Rahauser, a nurse at Hamburg Center and a member of the bargaining team. "It was a strike for equity and dignity" that proved to the state the nurses were professionals, she said.

Nurses returned to their jobs yesterday morning after the settlement was reached at 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

For some nurses, however, the strike was the final straw.

"At least five (nurses) left for other jobs in the area that were better," said Pat Moser, a strike captain at Allentown State Hospital.

"It's really a sad situation," she said, adding that in lieu of the tentative contract, more nurses are talking about leaving to seek better employment.

Moser said the nurses' feelings about the contract are mixed. "Most feel that isn't very good," she said.

"We do like our jobs," Moser stressed. "But we are falling behind in salary behind general hospitals."

She said the nurses were glad that the state shelved proposals on splitting shifts and working more than every other weekend.

Early in the strike the Pennsylvania Nurses Association (PNA) had said it would not consider any contract that did not move its members higher on the state pay scale. The union, however, tentatively agreed to a pact without the restructuring after it found the state wouldn't budge.

"The classification structure in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania . . ., it's practically set in cement. It's a very difficult thing to deal with in negotiations," said David Ranck, PNA executive administrator.

Murray Dickman, state secretary of administration, said the PNA proposal to move its members higher on the pay scale would have cost twice as much as the state's proposal.

It would also have "caused problems in morale" because some nurses would have received substantially higher increases than others, he said.

"What made us move off of that was we were willing to consider alternatives," said Ellie Moore, a member of the union's negotiating team. "And that (restructuring) wouldn't even be considered, so it was obvious that at that point we had to make a move."

Ranck said the union had a commitment from the state to discuss the union's proposal to restructure the pay scale.

"Negotiations are not the only avenue to be pursued on that and we will pursue the other avenues open to us," said Moore.

Ranck said another remedy would be "legal" and PNA planned to file suit in federal court on a wage-based, sex-discrimination complaint already filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Council. The complaint was not related to the negotiations, he said.

The three-year contract, which the state had called its final offer, provides a 3 percent increase in each year. It was similar to one reached with other state employees last summer and was retroactive to July 1, 1985. PNA says its members average $21,800.

Dickman said the agreement "could have been reached a long time ago."

The contract cut two holidays, reduced sick leave by 2.6 days and cut one personal day and one week vacation for up to seven years for new employees, said Dickman.

The union said it received language changes, which although not monetary, had "a great deal to do with job satisfaction," according to Ranck.

Also, the state agreed to delay and reconsider the downgrading of about 600 psychiatric nurses, which would have prevented them from receiving merit raises, he said.

The union, which represents 3,643 nurses, supervisors, pharmacists and other health professionals at 140 state-run hospitals, prisons and health clinics, said it boosted its membership by about 200 during the strike.

Ranck said a ratification vote was expected to be completed within two weeks.

Robert Morris, the administrator at Coaldale Hospital, said normal operations at the facility began early yesterday morning.

"We're back in good shape," he said, "We're really delighted to be back in service." The administrator said a full staff of nurses reported to work and added that all regular services were again being provided.

Coaldale Hospital was one of the hardest hit by the strike. Nurses were forced to work 12-hour shifts and most of the acute-care patients in the hospital were either transferred or discharged when their conditions allowed.

Dale Newhart, supervisor at Allentown State Hospital, also said the hospital's operations were getting back to normal. He said all scheduled nurses reported for their morning and afternoon shifts.

"We're very pleased at this turn of events because the supervisors and managers in nursing were beginning to become quite weary from the continuous, long hours," said Newhart. "We're very happy that they're back and hope they'll ratify the contract and remain at work."